Advancements in the satellite sensing of the impacts of climate and variability on bush encroachment in savannah rangelands
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
An increase in shrubs or woody species is likely, directly or indirectly, to significantly affect rural
livelihoods, wildlife/livestock productivity and conservation efforts. Poor and inappropriate land
use management practices have resulted in rangeland degradation, particularly in semi-arid regions, and this has amplified the bush encroachment rate in many African countries, particularly
in key savannah rangelands. The rate of encroachment is also perceived to be connected to other
environmental factors, such as climate change, fire and rainfall variability, which may influence
the structure and density of the shrubs (woody plants), when compared to uncontrolled grazing.
Remote sensing has provided robust data for global studies on both bush encroachment and
climate variability over multiple decades, and these data have complemented the local and
regional evidence and process studies. This paper thus provides a detailed review of the advancements in the use of remote sensing for the monitoring of bush encroachment on the African
continent, which is fuelled by climate variability in the rangeland areas.
Description
Keywords
Climate change, Sub-Saharan Africa, Remotely-sensed data, Satellite data, Food security
Citation
Maphanga, T. et al. (2022). Advancements in the satellite sensing of the impacts of climate and variability on bush encroachment in savannah rangelands. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment , 25, 100689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2021.100689